Outdoor Classroom: Design Inspiration!

If you are anything like me, and have done some thinking about The Outdoor Classroom, you are probably super inspired and trying to come up with ways to incorporate one into your work with children!

But sometimes the question is, where should I begin?  I always find it helpful to have some concrete examples for inspiration to get my creative juices flowing and to help make the decision-making process of design and implementation easier.

This post is to serve as a collection of ideas of some possible designs for your outdoor classroom!  Enjoy!

I love the use of the clear, coloured roof of this outdoor classroom, below!  Imagine how fun it would be to be a child sitting beneath this shelter.  I'm sure the concept of light and colour would spark the interests of many...imagine the possibilities of learning!

http://www.infiniteplaygrounds.co.uk/canopies-and-outdoor-classrooms/outdoor-classrooms/


This next image shows how areas for music-making can be incorporated outdoors.  How inviting does this look?

http://natureexplorecommunity.org/2012/seca-outdoor-classroom-contest/

How exciting would it be for a child to see a library set up outdoors!  Sometimes just changing the environment slightly to something unexpected and out of the ordinary would make children want to engage in activities they typically would not be to keen on.

http://www.yourfuturelibrary.ca/design-photos/covered-outdoor-reading-lounge-for-kids-just-to-enhance-to-this-idea-we-could-have-small-furniture-for-kids-kids-size-sofas-and-chairs

Setting up a garden for children to plant and care for their own greenery utilizes the children's five senses in their learning and exploration.  I also love how this photo shows the mirror added behind the garden.  It allows the children to see all around the plants and utilizes the space effectively.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/316166836312945012/



Incorporating a pond, like the one below, may allow children to study wildlife and the lifecycle of any plants or animals living in it.  The responsibilities children take on upon caring for a pond may teach them compassion, teamwork and responsibility!

 

http://www.ladycross.derbyshire.sch.uk/Curriculum/Outdoor+Learning

Below is a photo of Deephaven Elementary School's outdoor classroom.  You can see how the open space has some areas divided to encourage small group interactions.  The different areas also support various types of play, by providing sections with tables, platforms, gardens, and open spaces.

 

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/17905576

For more Outdoor Classroom inspiration, visit my Pinterest Board at http://www.pinterest.com/leevh/the-outdoor-classroom/
 

If you have an outdoor classroom that is already up and running and you are willing to share some photos, please Tweet me!  My twitter handle is @leevictoria - I'd LOVE to hear from you!





The Outdoor Classroom: Video Example

Here is a video that shows children learning and playing outdoors in the Nature Explore Classroom at The National Conservation Training Centre.  This is truly amazing as we can see how children's natural love of the outdoors brings about curiosity and wonder of the world around them.

 

"The National Conservation Training Center installed a Nature Explore Classroom to connect children with nature. Watch the process unfold as kids begin to play, create, and explore the outdoors. This classroom serves as a model for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, public lands, schools and anyone who wants to connect children with nature" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4Xv_SNvaIY)

For more information, visit: http://www.arborday.org/explore

Outdoor Classroom in Sackville, New Brunswick

This just in!  A look at a new outdoor classroom in Sackville, New Brunswick!



Image courtesy of http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/avast-ye-mateys-pirate-ship-classroom-launches-in-sackville-1.2827398

 Salem Elementary School has opened their Pirate Ship shaped outdoor classroom for students in Kindergarten to 4th Grade.  It is evident that this innovative take on the outdoor classroom has already sparked an interest in learning in the school's students.

"The kids are so involved, you would not believe it," said principal Ada Phinney. "They are just busy out here — and busy in a good way."


Image courtesy of http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/avast-ye-mateys-pirate-ship-classroom-launches-in-sackville-1.2827398

 

The principal also states, "There’s so much to feel and smell and hear, and all of their senses, I think, really absorb what is going on out here. It's a learning environment that is like no other."

The full article about Salem Elementary's new Outdoor Classroom can be found here.  If this isn't solid reason enough to incorporate outdoor classroom's into all schools across Canada, I don't know what is.

Keep up with me on Twitter at: http://www.twitter/com/leevictoria

or on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/leevh/the-outdoor-classroom/

The Outdoor Classroom: For More Information...

Image from: http://www.edenproject.com/learn-with-us/teacher-training-and-school-development/school-development/taking-the-primary-classroom-outside

 

If you are looking for more resources on The Outdoor Classroom, follow me:

My board on The Outdoor Classroom on Pinterest!

...or converse with me on Twitter!  My Twitter handle is @leevictoria and I have also posted some interesting articles regarding The Outdoor Classrom!

The Outdoor Classroom

When you think about children's learning, in what environment do you typically imagine this takes place?  For many, the obvious answer is within the classroom as this is where we are conditioned to believe most learning occurs.  However the opposite is found to be true, according to current studies:



Image from http://www.communityplaythings.com/inspiration/room-inspirations/outdoor-play

"Experience in the field and child development research alike are showing that all children need and benefit from more time outdoors; it is critical for their health, self-concept and future school success. The optimal learning and growing environment for young children is composed of a full integration of indoor and outdoor spaces. The Outdoor Classroom enhances and adds to the limited scope of activities available inside confined classrooms by providing for hands-on experiences, physical activity, social-emotional growth through peer interaction and multifaceted approaches to cognitive development that connect children to nature and maximize their learning outcomes."  This information and more can be found at http://outdoorclassroomproject.org/

Image from http://childrenandnature.ning.com/photo/outdoor-classroom

The Outdoor Classroom's vision is simple: children benefit from spending more time outdoors, especially in natural places. Its goal is equally simple: to increase the quantity, quality, and benefit of outdoor experience for children (http://www.communityplaythings.com/)

Let's talk about Social Constructivism in Middle Childhood...

Often, when we think of middle childhood and school, people tend to think of this:

Image from http://sevencounties.org/poc/center_index.php?cn=1272

Or this:


Image from http://kidsnewwest.ca/middle-years/


Or even this...a traditional classroom setting where students sit in neat rows, the teacher spits out information, and her class is expected to memorize it all:

Image from http://www.notredamecollege.edu/academics/academic-divisions/education/licensure-areas/middle-childhood-generalist

 

But in reality, many educators and parents today are facing these types of faces in the classroom:

  

http://braintourage.com/frustrated-parents/ and http://school.familyeducation.com/educational-testing/teaching-methods/37499.html?page=2&detoured=1

 

Now, why are we seeing such sadness and frustration in the classroom?  Isn't childhood supposed to be the most free and happiest times of one's life?

 

Before getting into answering that question though, let's first investigate:

 

What exactly is Middle Childhood?

 

Middle Childhood refers to the period of development where children are beginning to develop an increasing sense of independence, self-awareness, identity and empathy for others.  Typically, middle childhood refers to children between the ages of 6 and 12 years old.  What children experience and learn during these years highly influence the types of adolescents and adults they will become.

 

Image from http://nomadicconcepts.blogspot.ca/2011/02/cover-art-for-class-book-at-local.html



 

So what is Social Constructivism?

From http://jb00e.wordpress.com

 

 

Social Constructivism is a theory that basically means that we learn through a combination of interactions with others, our own personal experiences, internal reflections and building new theories upon what we already know and have experienced.

I have found two other bloggers who I feel explain social constructivism beautifully:

Teaching with Technology - by Amy Grace of Australia

Teaching with Technology

Learning Theories in the Early Childhood Classroom - by Nick Petten (I think this blog is even better than the first, as you can really feel the author's passion throughout!)

Social Constructivist Theory

In middle childhood under the social constructivist theory, children should be ACTIVE learners!

From http://www.vteducation.org/en/laboratories/active-learning-universal-design-learning-udl-collaboration-technology

 



As Vygotsky stated in his theories, children adapt their existing understanding of concepts by taking in new information (through conversations with others, external experiences, internal experiences) and comparing it to what they already know.  From here, children will form new schemas!  Their knowledge is constantly shifting and expanding as they go through their day-to-day lives!

 From http://educ1049blog.blogspot.ca/

 

The Social Constructivist Classroom 

These are some of the main things one would see in a social constructivist classroom:

From http://www.thenassauguardian.com/attachments/article/25191/Dillet%20and%20LCS.JPG

• Focus is on the students and their interests
• Students are actively involved in their learning process and draw their own conclusions to concepts and problems
• Knowledge is constantly changing - it is dynamic, not static
• Each student in the classroom's learning and understanding will be individual and will have meaning to them
• Construction of understanding is continuous and ongoing
• Emphasis of learning is made on what the children gain from social interactions
• Cultural background is also extremely valuable and contributes to the children's learning (both of themselves and about others)
• Learning is collaborative and is a process of peer interaction that is facilitated and guided by the teacher
• The curriculum is flexible and is guided by the students' interests
• Students are constantly reflecting on their learning and readjusting pre-existing schemas
• Teamwork and collaborative discussions are very apparent

From http://www.sfusd.edu/

 

 

The educational model would also follow that of the Reggio Emilia approach which is based on the following principles:

1. The children must have some control over the direction of their learning
2. Children must be able to learn through sensory experiences.  They must be able to freely explore materials
3. Children are allowed to foster relationships with their peers
4. Children must have endless ways and opportunities to express themselves

From http://www.edutopia.org/blog/reggio-approach-2-community-learning-adam-provost

The environment would act as the children's third teacher (after first, their parents, and secondly the educator).  The classroom would be aesthetically pleasing, nature-based, home to open-ended materials and would support social interactions and complex thinking.

From http://www.reggioalliance.org/reggio_emilia_italy/infant-toddler_centers_and_preschools.php

So what's the big idea?

The big idea is that social constructivism empowers children.  When children are empowered and feel a sense of control in their learning processes, they are happier and are much better able to retain information and develop a personal understanding of the world they live in!

 

On top of this, children who work in a social constructivist classroom develop more skills than those who do not!  Social constructivism allows children to develop:

• teamwork skills
• communication skills
• problem-solving skills
• responsibility
• self-regulation
• a clear picture of their own identity
• empathy
• listening skills
• real world experience
• ...and so much more!

 At school, children should be engaged in explorations like this:

From www.thecausecard.org

 

From http://www.pitchengine.com

From http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/graphics/2013/10/31/1031wv-frost.jpg

From http://www.prweb.com/

 





The common trend in all of these images is the fact that children have the chance to interact with their peers in order to supplement their learning.  These students are free to explore, and therefore come up with their own conclusions and theories. 

Teachers would be available to supply the materials and scaffold the children's learning, but not in the traditional sense like this...

 

From http://differentiationformyidp.blogspot.ca/



 

It's time to start allowing students the freedom to decide what is worth learning about! 





Supplementary Resources

There are so many wonderful resources out there for educators to use when facilitating the big idea of Transformations!  Here are a handful of some of my favourites that I have come across for your convenience:

Videos

In this video, Robert Teacher discusses how plants grow and change.  Interestingly, he begins the video by comparing the life cycle of a plant to that of a child, something that kindergartners can relate to!

This is another neat video by Robert Teacher, but this one focuses on how animals grow and transform from babies to adults!  I really enjoy the subtitles in the video, because it also promotes literacy!

This is a video educators can show young children.  It is a Time Lapse video of a Tomato plant over a span of 22 days but sped up to last only 1 minute and 13 seconds!

Blogs

The Educators Spin On It - Gardening with Kids
http://www.theeducatorsspinonit.com/2012/06/gardening-with-blog-hop-tons-of-great.html 

 Organic Gardening - A Blog Post on Gardening with your Children
http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/gardening-kids


Teach Beside Me - this blog also comes complete with an amazing list of books to supplement the learning of gardening and the transformation of seeds to plants

http://teachbesideme.com/gardening-with-kids/

 

Pinterest

The Educators' Spin On It -  The same authors as the blog above, but with fantastic ideas pinned to their Pinterest Board!
http://www.pinterest.com/educatorsspinon/gardening-with-kids/